Front actuating means for alarm clock signals



July 31, 1951 I BOURQUIN 2,562,293

FRONT ACTUATING MEANS FOR ALARM CLOCK SIGNALS Filed Aug. 13, 1945INVENTOR.

firmewsx Patented July 31, 1951 UNITED PATENT OFFi-GE FRONT KCTUATINGMEANS FFOR ALARM CLOCK {SIGNALS Edgar'Bourquin, Los Angel'e's; Calif.

Application Augustin, 1945,'Serial No. 61!);445

.(. Cl. 58f38 "3'Claims.

.Myinvention relates .to electrically driven clocks and is particularlydirected to an electrically driven-.clock-in whichanalarm-orsignalingdevice lsrcontained, the construction permitting an indicator or settinghand tobe adjusted to a desired or predetermined 'alarm time from thedial or face of the clock and the .alarm rendered either operative or:inoperative .from theiront oi the clock so that the entire clock may beset into a v recess, panel or wall and .no adjustments need bemade'iromthe rearof the clockor case thereof. This application is co-pending withmy app1ication,Serial No. 757,392, filed June .27, 1947,

which is directed to front setting means for the time-and hour hands.

Electrically operated clocks ordinarily contain a case in which the.motor .and gearing are contained. In the event the clock is of thealarmor signaling-type, it is usually provided with a setting .handwhich appears-ontheidial face with its center .of -.rotation:remov.edfrom 'the axis around which the minute and .hourhands rotate. Meansfer-gpresetting the alarm and means for adjusting the hour and minutehands, as Welles-means for rendering the signaling device eitheroperative 'or moperative, are generally located on the back of the clockcase and extend rearwardly therefrom so thatail or the adjustments aremade irom the .rear. Nov difliculty encountered in making suchadjustments in the "event the clock is of the so-called desk type Whereit is supported from a table, 'cloc'k shelf, or the like andreads/access is had to therear of the clockcase'. However, there aremany instances where it is desirable .to have the clockpositionedjwithin "a .reeess 'or fastened to a wall orpanel so thatthedial face "is virtually .flush with the surface of the :wall orgpanel.In such instances, acces to the :rear of the case is virtuallyimpossible.

. ;Ihe;present inventionpermits electric :clocks to be' mounted within apanel, wallyor other supporting structure and all'of thenecessary-adiustments for alarm setting maybe readily made mm the frontof the clock. 1.1;;

It is an object of the invention to provide an alarm clock of theelectrically driven type provided with means for selectively activatingand inactivating the alarm mechanism from a position in front of theclock on its dial face.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art from the following description of an exemplaryconstruction by means of which the desired objects may be attained.

In the appended drawings, which will be re- 2 ferred to in describingthe illustrative embodiment:

Fig. -1 isa front-elevation of a clock constructed in accordance withthe-present inventionset .into or mounted upon a panelor wall.

Fig. 2 isafront elevation .ofthe clock withthe motor, :clock works, anddial face removed.

Fig. .3 is a horizontal :section takenalong' the plane III-III of Fig.1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken along theplane IVIV of Fig. 1.

The clock shown in thedrawings is of rectangular shape and comprises acase I inserted vinto arecess formed in the wall or panel 2. Anysuitable means may be used in positioning and holding the clock withinthe panel. The case may beimperforate except for-a port 3 through whichthe normal, electrical conductor 4 is passed for the purpose ofsupplying -the-clock .with power.

" The clock'includes the dial face 5 carrying suit,-

ably arranged indices .to indicate the :hours. the minute hand beingindicated at 6 and the hour hand indicated at 1. Circularly arrangedaround the central axis of rotation of the minute and hour hands is aseries of indices for indicating the time for which the alarm .ispreset.

.Positioned within the clock case i is a magnetic core having afieldcoil 12 wound around one portion thereof, the ends of the fielcl coilbeing connected to the electrical leads leading from a source of power.The magnetic core-II formsagap i 3 adapted to receive therotor of asuitable electric motor whose housing is indicated at 14. Details of themotor need not be shown, since-they are-well known-in the art. Suchmotorordinarily includes adriving pinion I 5 extending therefrom, the.pinioneooperating with suitable clock works for actuating the minuteand hour hands.

In the drawing, the clock works are shown contained and carried-bye,front plate 15 and a .rear plate 1-1, the two plates being maintained in"suitable, spaced relation bymeans of spacers, one of which is indicatedat. The entire clock works assembly may be removably attached to therear wall of the case I as by means of stud bolts or spacers IS.

The clock may be of the alarm type wherein a vibratable armature orstriker 20 is positioned within the case, one end of the striker beingattached to the case as at 2 I. When such striker 20 is released, itwill vibrate either against the core II or against a suitable hell orsounding element (not shown) Means have been provided to render thealarm 3 or striker 20 either operative or inoperative, that is toinhibit the alarm or shut it off or to place it in a condition where itwill become energized at a time indicated by the setting hand. Suchmeans comprise a lever 55 pivotally connected as at 56 to a bracket 51extending from the rear plate ll of the clock works. The lever 55carries a latch 58 capable of being moved into engagement with thestriker 20 so as to prevent its vibration. In Fig. 4, the latch 58 is ina disengaged position with respect to the striker 20.

Rods or bars 60 and BI extend through the front and rear plates of theclock works and through the dial 5 so as to be accessible from the frontof the clock. The front end of rod 60 may carry a push plate or tab 60marked on, whereas the front end of rod 6| may carry a push plate or tabBl marked off. Rods 60 and 61 with their respective outwardly projectingtabs 60' and 6| may be spaced at diametrically opposite dial locationsfor readily identifying the alarm signal setting and for facilitatingimmediately desired operation of the alarm signal. The ends of lever 55may be provided with horizontally extending extensions 55 and 55"terminating in upwardly extending pins capable of engaging slots formedin the inner arms of rods 60 and 6 I. It will be evident that manualmovement of the rods pivots the lever 55 so as to cause the latch 58 toselectively engage and disengage the striker arm 20. In order to shutoff the alarm, it is necessary only to push the protruding end 6| of therod 6|. It should be noted that tabs 60' and GI are spaced well apart sothat they may be unmistakably identified by touch and by sight. Theouter projection of rods 60 and BI forwardly of the dial faceare ofdifferent lengths depending upon the position in which the alarm signalis set. Thus the rods and associated tabs may visually indicate theposition of the alarm signal setting.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention is notlimited to the specific means for inhibiting the striker 20. Thefrontally extending means for releasing or latching the vibratableelement or alarm striker may be applied to mechanical or spring-drivenclocks as well as electric clocks. Numerous changes and modificationsmay be made and all changes coming within the scope of the appendedclaims are embraced thereby.

I claim:

' 1. In an electric clock and alarm device, including a case containinga magnetic core, a field coil associated therewith, a clock rotor inoperative relation to the magnetic core, a clockwork mechanism driven bythe rotor, a dial carried by the case and minute and hour hands movableover said dial, the combination of: a vibratable striker member inoperative relation to the mag netic core; a centrally pivoted inhibitorlever including an integral latch arranged for movement into engagementwith the vibratable striker for holding said striker out of contact withthe magnetic core and movement out of engagement with the striker forreleasing said striker for vibratable movement; and a manually movablepush rod connected to each end of the lever, the front of each push rodextending frontally to a position in front of the assembled clock formanual actuation of the lever from opposite dial portions at the frontthereof for ready identification.

2. In an electric clock and alarm device including a case containing amagnetic core, a field coil associated therewith, a clock rotor inoperative relation to the magnetic core, a clock work mechanism drivenby the rotor, a dial carried by the case, and minute and hour handsmovable over said dial, the combination of a vibratable striker member;an inhibitor lever pivoted between its ends within the case andextending into proximity with opposite walls of the case; a latchcarried by the lever intermediate its ends in operative relation to thestriker member; a manually actuatable push rod connected to each end ofthe lever within the case, said rods extending through diametricallyspaced opposite edge areas of the dial with end portions of the rodspositioned in front of the assembled clock; said rods being axiallymovable for selectively actuating said lever for moving said latch intoand out of contact with the striker member.

3. In an electric clock and alarm device including a case containing amagnetic core, a field coil associated therewith, a clock rotor inoperative relation to the magnetic core, a clock work mechanism drivenby the rotor, a dial carried by the case, and minute and hour handsmovable over said dial, the combination of: avibratable striker member;an inhibitor lever pivoted between its ends within the case; a latchcarried by the lever intermediate its ends in operative relation to thestriker member; a manually actuatable push rod connected to each end ofthe lever within the case, said rods extending through spaced edge areasof the dial with end portions of the rods positioned in front of theassembled clock; said rods being movable for selectively actuating saidlever for moving said latch into and out of contact with the strikermember.

EDGAR BOURQUIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

DeHaes Mar. 21, 1944

